TV, DVD, Sky+ set-up etc

[seandolan]

The olds have splashed out on a pukka new LCD telly. I've connected it all up but with all the connectors at the back I'm sure that there might be a better way.

They have a DVD, VCR, Sky+ and a Video Sender (to get sky in the kitchen). The TV has two Scart sockets.

The DVD and Sender Scart into the back of the telly. The Sky+ is linked to the VCR which is connected to the TV using the terrestrial aerial input. Terrestrial is plugged in to the back of the VCR.

Sky+ and the VCR share AV1 (the VCR overrides Sky when switched on). The DVD uses AV2.

Not being the most technical parents (even worse than me!) I'd like to set separate AV channels for Sky and the VCR.

Should I use a Scart splitter and plug the VCR and Sky+ in through separate Scarts or can I make use of the other inputs on the back of the telly. Looking at the telly destructions these are:

RCA cable inputs

S-video inputs

Component cable inputs

HDMI cable inputs

D-sub inputs

Any advice?

Also, are gold plated Scarts worth the extra investment?

[ric04vrs]

do they watch videos ? if not junk it , haven't they got sky+ to replace the video for recording ,then 1 scart socket on the tv for the DVD and 1 for the sky+ , doesn't the sky in the kitchen work straight from the sky box , otherwise buy a switchable scart box and plug the all in that

[Johnnyc]

Dump the VCR, connect the scart of the video sender to the 2nd scart on the SKY+. Use Scart No.1 on TV for the DVD player and Scart 2 on TV for Sky+.

[seandolan]

Nah, they can't bring themselves to junk the VCR!

[Makefish]

Sean, this is a bit of a hobby of mine (i've spent a small fortune on it over the years!), if you want I can give you some suggestions but would need to know more about the 'kit' youv'e got.

PM Sent.

[VRStu]

Sean' date=' this is a bit of a hobby of mine (i've spent a small fortune on it over the years!), if you want I can give you some suggestions but would need to know more about the 'kit' youv'e got.

PM Sent.[/quote']

Ahh I see - As you couldn't get me to buy and LCD telly for you to play with you wanna pick on another innocent victim. :P

Watch him Sean, I let him drive my car once, only a few hundred yards, get back in it and he's changed my radio station to Quay FM or something. I'm outside beavering away making additions to his car and he sit's down in the living room, puts the Bose system on and tunes that bugger in too!!!

:rofl:

[Johnnyc]

Nah, they can't bring themselves to junk the VCR!

In that case isnt there some other input on the tv u can use like a composite video input. Alternatively you could buy a DVD recorder for

[ric04vrs]

you see , everybody wants you to junk the VCR

[Harry_vRS]

VCR is so last decade

I agree with everyone, bin the thing.

[seandolan]

VCR is so last decade

I agree with everyone' date=' bin the thing.[/quote']

Hang-on, hang-on - this is the folks I'm talking about - the old man loves having the VCR as "back-up" for if the Sky+ fails!

The VCR stays

[Johnnyc]

Hang-on' date=' hang-on - this is the folks I'm talking about - the old man loves having the VCR as "back-up" for if the Sky+ fails!

The VCR stays [/quote']

Sky+ fails . Yeah ok it happens from time to time but you wont know about it until you go to watch the programme you think you recorded. So he'll have to record everything on the vcr as well as Sky+ in that case which kinda defeats the purpose of having Sky+ really. Also Sky can record 2 channels at once, his VCR can't.

HDD failure has been known to occur on Sky+ boxes but bloody hell how important are these recordings anyhow. I mean all you ever get are repeats on tv these days anyhow.

[kentzer]

I assume the LCD TV has the standard aerial connector? Why not just plug the VCR into that? Granted you can't tape Sky onto the VCR, but as you say, you've got Sky+ for that.

The quality loss of using an analogue aerial over ising SCART probably isn't that noticeable when you're contemplating VCR quality.

Just a thought:rolleyes:

Cheers

Ben